Stories of a Scattered Mind
by phantom1ntheshadows
Summary: A series of oneshots written about naruto. Requests for oneshot pairings or plot taken by review or PM. Chapter 14: Sasuke's denial. Special thanks to renalin.
1. Neji and Tenten: words

A/N: Okay… so the awesome Renalin has given me the idea to take requests for oneshots and form them into my own collection xD

So obviously I will take requests…PM me or review to leave one.

That starts us off with my own: neji/tenten, all that's left unsaid (YES I know its up as its own story but I used it anyway. Shaddup.

Oh and by the way, I only own Naruto in my delusional little version of reality. Hmm…maybe I should write Naruto jumping off a cliff…or replace Sai with someone even more irritating…

They had nothing to say to each other. Her brown eyes latched onto his white ones, the cool serenity of them washing over her like the flood of the rain washing over the desert on a dry summer's day. They had nothing to say to each other-and yet everything felt unsaid.

"Neji?" She immediately regretted speaking, the sound had a way of pushing away the soothing trance his eyes had laid upon her. She broke away from his captivating gaze and turned her head towards the sky, her back resting firmly on the bark of the gnarled oak. She liked that oak- for all the various scars besmirching it, lines running up and down from misplaced kunai thrown by an errant hand, it always had a way of making her feel secure. Just like the dark-haired prodigy sitting next to her.

"Hn." he responded. She took it as permission to speak. The girl was cautious, careful not to shatter the fragile calmness of the night enveloping her. The body next to her shifted slightly, uncomfortably.

"Are we any different now than we were then?" she mused. They both understood the meaning. Four years ago, they were elected to team Gai. Four years ago, they became genin. Four years ago, they were only children. A lot seemed to have changed in the space of those four years.

"We are no longer children, Tenten." He spoke plainly, the words reverberating through the souls of the two. The souls that already felt as if they had been melded into one. Yes- through the hopelessness and hardships, the trials and tribulations, all the times they fought, sweat, bled and almost _died_ for each other, their separate hearts had fused into one beating entity. From the moment they met, the first time her warm, chocolate brown eyes penetrated his cold, blank ones, Tenten knew that stoic Neji was not so much the ice prince as everyone believed. His heart was reachable, attainable, able to be won if she _tried hard enough_. And that is the reason that she fought. Every time he pushed her away, all the times he made her feel as if she would _never_ get him to open up, she fought with her heart and soul even harder to shatter the walls Neji Hyuuga thought to be impenetrable.

"Yeah, I know that, but are we really _different_?" she reiterated. The Hyuuga did not know if he knew himself. He shrugged and gave a classic 'hn' , his end all-be all of responses to questions for which he did not have an answer. He disliked tricky questions with no one answer- Neji Hyuuga liked things simple, black and white, like the contrast between his raven black hair and his pale eyes. He simply turned away anything which might ruin the simplicity. That is why he had fought and failed to keep her out. She complicated things. She made things more difficult, destroyed the little perfect bubble he had used to enclose his mind. Despite how hard he searched, he had eventually come to realize that there was no one simple answer when it came to Tenten. With her, the inks seemed to run together, forming a grey smear on the once perfectly crisp, perfectly black and white pages of his life. That was the reason he had lost in the end. She was like water to his mind, as hard as he may try she would always find a way to seep in through some miniscule pore which he could've sworn he had sealed.

"Children don't understand suffering, Tenten. They do not understand what we have gone through." She grimaced at the way that the boy always seemed to put a dark spin on whatever topic they were discussing. All the same, she knew it was right.

"I know. You know what else children don't understand? I don't think they understand what it means to be a true friend. Four years ago, I didn't know what it meant to be a true friend to someone… but I do now, I think." She sighed, her words hiding a deeper meaning, one which she herself was just beginning to fathom. Four years ago, it seemed, they began to fall in love. As much as they had tried, no, _fought_ to hide it, as of late the fact had become apparent. The way they spent every available moment with each other, along with Neji's cold stares at any guy who dared approach Tenten, spoke the volumes in their hearts that their minds could not yet decode into words. She felt the warm body next to her shift closer, and she rested her head on a steady shoulder, content to be next to the one whom she now knew she had grown to love. She felt safer with him than she could feel anywhere else.

"I suppose I have too." He looped an arm loosely around her and scanned the area with his byakugan to insure that they were not being watched. He kissed her softly, quickly, only slightly allowing himself to lose the restraint he would normally have fought to keep over his mind. Tenten sighed. Yes- it seemed as if a lot had changed within four years. More than either of them would ever have imagined.


	2. Itachi and Deiadara: teammates

**A/N: for my friend rogue, who asked for something involving deidara and itachi on the same team. Just so you guys know, since I forgot to mention, I don't like doing yaoi. So don't request it.**

"I refuse to be partnered with someone who has such little appreciation for art any longer, hn!" shouted the blonde haired artist obstinately. The other man stood in the corner and 'hmph'ed.

"As if I wanted to be on your team anyway, freak." Itachi mumbled under his breath. He, itachi, the famed prodigy of the Uchiha clan- stuck on the same two man team as this low life 'artist'. Leader had decided the arrangement as a temporary two weeks prior, after Sasori had died and Kisame had asked for a couple weeks off on break.

"See, leader, he's completely unmanageable!" the blonde shouted indignantly.

"At least I look like a guy." Itachi said, muttering some more. In the two weeks they had been partnered, the team hadn't been able to get a single mission done for all their fighting.

"Sasori-dana says I'm plenty manly enough, hn!" Itachi knew he had struck a weak point with Deidara's sensitivity about his looks.

"Maybe if you cut your hair and wore something that looked less like a _dress _people would stop mistaking you for a girl!" he sniggered, trying to control himself les he go into fits of unrestrained laughter.

"Sasori told me it does not look like a dress, and you wear the same thing!" Ooh, was Itachi in for it now.

"Why don't you and Ass-ori just elope? Oh, that's right, he's dead!" Itachi would've cackled, but merely shouted so as to retain his badass composure. A veritable inferno burned under Deidara's eyes.

"That's it! Katsu!" Deidara shouted, throwing a clay spider at Itachi. Itachi ducked, sending the spider spinning towards the opposite wall of the Akatsuki base. Bits of rock rained down form the ceiling. The akatsuki leader sighed.

"Very well. Itachi, you're back with Kisame." He said, gesturing towards the fish man, who had mysteriously appeared into the center of the room. Itachi, suddenly overcome with happiness, threw his arms around Kisame.

"Finally! I get away from that freak!" Itachi shouted while walking out of the room.

"Tobi, get in here!" Leader shouted, as a dopey looking man in an orange mask resembling a lollipop stumbled through the doorway. Deidara groaned.

"You mean I'm stuck with this freak?!" Deidara admonished.

"Make sure he doesn't get killed, okay? If he does, Zetsu won't be pleased…and we definitely don't want that."

"Yay, I get to be in akatsuki now!" cheered Tobi, bouncing up and down happily. Deidara started to cry.

"Noooooooo!"


	3. Naruto and Hinata: Thin Ice

**A/N: Naruhina for my own amusement and because I want to condense all my oneshots (this one is earlier)**

**Maybe if I become a billinaire, I will buy Naruto.**

God, why did it have to be so windy out?!" Naruto yelled at no one in particular as he begrudgingly trudged out into the brisk winter day.

"Stupid sensei, making us train on a day like this…" Naruto exhaled, watching the misty vapor disappear into the frigid air. He just couldn't believe it, 10 degrees out and Kakashi was still crazy enough to force them outside! Not only had he forced them outside, but he felt the need to do it by writing Naruto a note in some girly handwriting! This was weird even for Kakashi. The young boy's eyes glared at the ground as he pulled the note from his pocket to check it again.

Meet me at the pond behind Ninja Academy, 3:00 sharp. I'll be teaching a new ice jutsu. If you're going to be late, don't bother showing up.

-Kakashi

Naruto folded the note and stuffed it back into the pocket of his bright orange jumpsuit. He glared at the ground as he walked, shivering, to the spot where the note had instructed him. Naruto looked around, but it appeared as if he was the only one standing in the middle of the frozen body of water. Unexpectedly, a small shrub at the edge of the pond made a rustling sound. Naruto attempted to spin around, but lost his footing and fell in the process. At the same time, a small girl tumbled out of the frozen greenery.

"Hinata?!" Naruto gaped confusedly, stumbling to his feet and at the same time wondering what in the world was going on.

"But the note said that I was supposed to go here for training at 3:00 today!" Naruto shouted unnecessarily loudly.

"Y-you mean you got one too, N-Naruto? That's strange, why would Kurenai send a training note to both of us?" Hinata asked in her meek little voice.

"Wait a second…" Naruto mumbled as he turned over the note.

Ha, fooled you! I knew that would get you out of the house. We're going skating. Your ice skates are by the big tree on the edge of the pond.

-Your Teammates

"Hinata, is there anything written on the back of your note?" Naruto questioned while still examining the back of his.

Hinata turned over her scrap of paper. Sure enough, the message on the back was similar to that on the back of Naruto's note, only not as sarcastic.

Despite being confused by the lack of teammates, Naruto and Hinata walked to the old, bare tree indicated in the note and began to search around the base. Sure enough, their skates were right where they had been told to find them.

"Let's go!" Naruto said excitedly as he pulled on his skates.

"I-I'm going to go check around for everyone, ok?" Hinata said in her shy tone. "J-just go onto the ice without me."

Naruto hobbled out onto the middle of the ice as best he could. He had forgotten that he had no idea how to ice skate.

Hinata returned a few minutes later. Looking out onto the ice, she spotted Naruto, standing there hopelessly, unsure of how to move without falling over. He looked at her stupidly.

"N-Naruto?" Hinata yelled. "Are you alright?" She began to skate out to her companion.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" he said as she reached him, his tone giving away his lie. "Come on, let's skate!"

Naruto had barely moved an inch when he lost his balance, toppling onto the ice with a yell. Instinctively he grabbed for Hinata's arm, pulling her down with him. Naruto blushed as Hinata helped him back up.

"Sorry about that…" he said with a nervous laugh. "I've never been ice skating before, to tell the truth."

"That's ok, N-Naruto. I'll s-s-show you if you want…" Hinata replied.

This time, it was Hinata who blushed a deep scarlet as Naruto grabbed her hand, willing to let her lead him around the ice.

"T-try moving your f-feet side to side l-like this, ok N-Naruto?" She instructed him, showing him how to move without falling over. An hour passed and although he was still unsteady, Naruto seemed to be getting it. Without warning, Hinata's hand slipped away from Naruto's.

"Whoa!" he shouted, losing his balance. Naruto grabbed onto Hinata once again for support. Down they fell.

"Heh, this seems to be happening a lot today…" Naruto said with a sweat drop as he uneasily attempted to right himself. He took Hinata's hand again.

"M-maybe y-y-you should practice a-a l-little more first, N-Naruto…" Hinata stuttered, blushing again. "Maybe I'm just not a good teacher…" she thought to herself, looking at the clumsy boy that she adored so much. All of a sudden, Naruto tripped over his own feet and skidded across the ice. Hinata hung her head, almost starting to cry. Naruto looked up.

"Hinata...what's wrong?" he asked. "Did I hurt you or something?"

Hinata whimpered. "I-I'm just not a good enough teacher. I-I'm sorry, N-Naruto."

Naruto looked at her, surprised. "Don't worry Hinata. You're a really great teacher, believe it! It's just these stupid ice skates. C'mon, its ok…"

Without thinking, Naruto embraced Hinata, trying to stop her tears from coming. She fell into him, the crying beginning to subside.

"Thank you, N-Naruto…" she said, looking up.

"I guess I never really saw how much she cares about me…" Naruto thought to himself. "I've been too busy chasing after Sakura to notice her…" Naruto looked back at Hinata. Their faces were barely an inch apart. Before Hinata had time to realize what was going to happen, he kissed her.

Hinata pulled away, hyperventilating. "I…I'm sorry…" she stuttered, barely loud enough to be audible. She looked down at the ground in shock. "I…I didn't…"

Naruto moved closer to her. "It's ok, Hinata. I never really saw it before, but I care about you…" He embraced her once again, and once again their lips touched. This time Hinata did not pull away but allowed Naruto to prolong the kiss. Hinata began to feel dizzy, overcome by shock. She collapsed to the ground in a dead faint.

"Hinata!" Naruto yelled, pulling off his ice skates and carrying her to the edge of the ice. She looked up at him, coming to.

"I-I'm ok, I think…" she mumbled, freaking out internally over what had just happened. Naruto set her down.

"Let's go get some ramen." Naruto told her. "We can go skating another day, and you can teach me. I'll even practice til I get as good as you, believe it!!"

Hinata gave him a meek smile as she nodded, removing her own skates and standing up. He grabbed her hand, once again causing Hinata to blush vividly, and together they walked away from the ice-covered pond.

Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi sat eating ramen at Ichiraku's. Kakashi spotted Naruto and Hinata approaching, hand in hand.

"Well, aren't you two cozy?" he remarked. Naruto and Hinata let go of each other and looked away, mumbling nervously to themselves.

"Sasuke, Sakura, I think we might as well leave these two to themselves." he said in his usual joking manner, rising from his stool. Sasuke and Sakura followed. Kakashi turned to Sakura as soon as they had gotten out of hearing range of the couple.

"Well, well… it appears that your plan worked perfectly, Sakura." Kakashi said with a chuckle. He looked behind him at Naruto and Hinata. They were leaned against each other, naruto's arm around Hinata. Sakura just smiled.


	4. Neji and Sakura: rockstar

Two things were certain. She felt his breath upon her neck as he leaned in close to her. Way too close for comfort. She pushed him away roughly, stumbling a bit in the crowded concert hall. Sh attempted a halfhearted glare at the dark haired prodigy.

"Neji, stop!" she slurred, her words coming out in an almost monosyllabic choke. He had been like this since shortly after they got there, since they both made the decision to partake of the bottle of sake that Lee had snuck into the celebration.

Yes, the second certainty was that they were both very, _very_ drunk. Drunk enough to be acting in such an out of character manner…drunk enough not to _care_ that they were acting in such an out of character manner. The drug warmed their spirits while cooling their inhibitions, fire and ice at once, making them feel as if they floated on air. He leaned in close to her again, daring her to do something about it.

"Dance with me, Sakura." He crooned, grabbing her hand. She meant to resist, but the liquor flowing through her veins wouldn't allow it. She complacently allowed him to pull her close, her body going rigid at the strange gesture.

"Neji, we really shouldn't be doing this," she babbled. She knew it was wrong, she knew she should stop. The problem was, she couldn't. The forbidden sense of danger she felt at allowing it, even while Sasuke stood just out of sight, kept her going, kept her doing what she knew she shouldn't.

And then there was Tenten. He, too, was risking himself. The weapons mistress had declined the gathering on previous plans, but without a doubt, if anyone remembered this by morning she would hear about it. She would push him away as Sakura had done mere minutes ago, only permanently. He would be scarred…possibly even in the literal sense. Tenten would usrely whip a shuriken or two his way.

Her risk, even, wasn't as high. Sasuke was as drunk as she was...and she knew full well how Sasuke's body reacted to liquor. Come morning, his mind would be blank, wrestling away a dreary stupor as he struggled to remember the night that had passed.

Sakura felt his hot breath on her face, drawing closer and closer, seeming to move imperceptibly slowly. She knew what was happening. He was trying to kiss her. If it happened, and anyone remembered, both their fates would be sealed.

"Neji, we shouldn't be doing this." She stated in a warning tone, her words still running together like the drink coursing through her blood.

"What's wrong with it?" he stated stupidly, a result of the sake. He pointed to the stage, his eyes blurring as he attempted to single out one of the musicians working his magic upon the stage, his coursing music having little effect to dull their alcohol induced stupor. "That rockstar does it all the time."

His lips connected with hers in finality, the excess alcohol jarring her brain out of its resistance. She moved with him, their bodies flowing to the beat of the music. The inebriating drinks consumed earlier in the night kept her from doing anything but going along with it, despite how dangerous their actions may be.

Something jarred sakura out of her trance, whether it was the music, some sudden realization, or even simply the effects of the sake beginning to wear off. She stared at him numbly, feebly shoving him away.

"No, Neji. This is wrong. We aren't rockstars." Her limbs still felt numb from the sake and her mind was still in a fog that probably wouldn't lift until morning, but nonetheless she somehow found a way to lift her mind slightly out of its stupor. She turned and left the arena for home, leaving the dark haired prodigy standing there dumbly, staring after her.

"That's right, we aren't rockstars."


	5. Sasuke and Sakura: Posession

**A/N: for hpbabe91, who wanted sasuke and sakura with posessive sasuke, hope you like it even though its a bit unorthodox!**

He sat by the edge of the hospital bed, stroking the hand of the pink haired kunoichi tenderly, willing her to wake up. He feared that she would never have the chance to discover just how much he cared for her. Over the years of teambuilding, trials, tribulation, heartbreak and hope, she never once gave up on him. Even when the went so far as to abandon her on the night of her confession, making her world go black and leaving her heart open and raw for the world to see, that little beacon of light never faded. When he returned, she was still glowing as brightly as ever, faithful to him even after his betrayal, cheerily lighting the way lest he one day return.

Sasuke remembered the accident with a shudder, recalling how his shining light had been crushed in such a fleeting moment of foolishness. He forced Tsunade to give him the assassination mission, badgered her for months until she relented and allowed the pair to go after Itachi Uchiha together. In the end, she was squashed by her love for him, ducking in the way of Itachi's sharingan in order to keep him from falling victim. From the moment Sasuke heard the girl's screams, he knew it would be hopeless. She fell from the tree as Itachi released his hold, falling to the earth below with a sickening crunch.

He hadn't allowed Itachi to escape. Hw dare he take away the one precious thing Sasuke had left? How dare he squelch the one light burning so brightly in his life? Sakura was his, damn it, His! He flew into a jealous rage, squeezing the life out of Itachi's chest with a terrifying display of power in the chidori. He jumped down from the tree and raced over to where her lifeless body stood, falling to the ground in a similar heap as she, undone by grief. He knew that there was little hope for her- her legs broken, her head the victim of obvious trauma on the way down.

And so here he was, three months later, staring down at the lifeless body before him. Her heart had stopped twenty minutes prior- he held onto his hope despite knowing it was too late. His light was out for good, and it would not be back. He hated himself for denying her care for him so many times. Every time she tried to draw close, he pushed her away. Every time she even made an attempt at getting into the mask that covered his heart, he shoved her back out with force. And now, just as she was so close to winning, just as he had finally let her into the brick walled fortress he used to preserve himself, she had died.

Sasuke Uchiha found himself jealous of death- death who could take her even when he couldn't, the power that could decide for itself whether his loved ones lived or died. He wanted that power. He wanted to control it, wanted to bring her back from the place she now was, the place he could not follow just yet, or perhaps ever. He wanted to be possessive- decide who could draw near to her and who he would attempt to pull her away from, but it was too late, much too late.

He placed a hand along her cool jawbone, liking the feel of the skin despite its lifelessness. He felt despair welling up within him at the lack of current running through it. There was nothing left to light her with. He let go of his hope, his resolve shattering as he let go of that one last block holding his fortress together. He pressed his warm lips to her cool, ghostly pale ones as he willed himself not to cry. But there it was, a small bitter tear slipping its way out of his eyelid and landing upon her silken cheek. He found himself shaking with bitter sobs over her body, just as she once did for him. This time it was different- all the tears in the world wouldn't bring Sakura back. He lifted himself up and slid a small box out of his pocket, opening the lid to reveal a beautiful ring encrusted with jewels. He slipped it over her finger and kissed her one last time.

"I was going to ask if you would be my posession." He wept, walking away forever, hiding his face so no one could see him. His possession was gone- and she was never going to come back.


	6. Ino and Shikamaru: Absinthe

A/N: Melantha requested shikaino: absinthe. Oh, this should be entertaining.

**You guys have to give me PROMPTS! The more I get, the faster I write, really!**

"What is it?" Ino asked the vendor, curiously eyeing the bottle of liquid he offered. It was emerald green, the color of a cat's eye, and clear as glass. Shikamaru sighed heavily.

"More importantly, how much does it cost?" he asked, thinking about just how troublesome it could be to take Ino shopping. The girl always had a way of choosing out the most expensive thing in the marketplace, and then forcing _him_ to buy it for her. Every time.

"Oooh…" the shopkeeper said cheerily, but with a hint of danger at the same time. "This, my dear is absinthe- sometimes called the green fairy. One sip of her, and you'll be on the most fantastical journey you've ever experienced!" he finished with a flourish.

"How troublesome." Shikamaru groaned. "With the way you're describing it, it's either extremely alcoholic or poisonous." He glared at the street vendor. Despite its obvious illegality and danger, he could tell he had Ino in his clutches.

"You may be right about the alcohl, lad, but let me tell you, the green fairy will do you no harm." He smiled. "As a gesture of my kind will, I will even let you have a free sample." He added, smiling all the wider.

"No thanks-"

"We're in!" Ino shouted, cutting him off. Shikamaru groaned again. As predicted, this was going to be troublesome.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The two teenagers skipped hand in hand down the streets of Konoha, merriment and amusement, along with a hint of something _else_, sketched obviously across their faces.

"What are they up to?" Naruto asked, scratching his head in confusion. Sasuke sighed heavily and turned towards him.

"You are such a dobe, Naruto. They're obviously drunk." He said plainly, kicking a rock at his feet.

"You've got that right," said Sakura. "I've never seen those two act more bizarre."

"I don't know," said Naruto. "I've seen them act pretty weird before." He laughed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Row, row, row you boat, gently down the stream!" the pair slurred, laughing. The absinthe definitely had an amusing effect on their behavior. They stumbled into the training grounds and fell into a heap next to one another in a drunken stupor.

"Hey, do you see that?" Shikamaru asked, jumping up and attempting to touch the small green fairy darting inches before his face. He laughed as it flitted away from him.

"What are you talking about?" Ino slurred in return. "It's over here!" she giggled, attempting to catch the hallucination of a purple butterfly, but in the opposite direction.

The two ran- or rather stumbled- in circles around the training field for a few minutes before smacking headfirst into each other and falling down on top of one another, laughing. Shikamaru suddenly found himself staring directly into his teammate's eyes.

"Hey, ino," he slurred, staring directly into the blue pools directly in front of his face.

"Yeah?" she returned, half coherent. She herself found her eyes trained on Shikamaru's.

"Would you care that much if I kissed you?" he asked, just as suddenly as the thought popped into his head.

"What?" she attempted, but it came out as more of a "hmph!" as Shikamaru's lips met her own- he hadn't even waited for a response. She wrapped her hands around him to prolong the kiss, not wanting him to stop. The secret truth was that she had been wanting this for longer than he probably realized.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The pair broke apart at the sound of police sirens at the edge of the clearing. They scrambled to their feet as a police officer approached holding a pair of handcuffs.

"Yes, officer?" Shikamaru let out in a drunken sounding voice."

"Don't try that with me." The man said. "I saw you two purchase absinthe from that street vendor." He chided. "You're both under arrest."

"Good going, Shikamaru." Ino berated as the cop slapped handcuffs around her wrists. Oh well, with any luck they would be placed in the same jail cell…


	7. Shikamaru and Temari: Caught!

**A/N: For shiki1696, who wanted shikatema. Well…here ya go.**

The music throbbed around the pair like a loose fog willing to envelop them. Temari let it carry her along, trying to coax her less-than-willing dance partner into moving with it as well.

"Come on, Shikamaru" she begged. "You have to at least move a _little_." She stopped for a second to stare at the lazy genius.

"This is troublesome." He sighed, picking up his feet slightly. Temari smiled warmly, happy that she had finally gotten him to move around a bit.

"This is a _party_, Shikamaru." She said tiredly. "This is what people _do_ at parties." Shikamaru groaned.

"Yes, I know. But as you obviously haven't noticed, your psychopath of a brother is standing _right over there_. That would make this not a good idea." Shikamaru said, looking nervously in Gaara's direction.

"Don't worry about him," Temari said casually. "He's too distracted to notice us." Indeed, Gaara did seem rather distracted with a brunette kunoichi trying to coax him into dancing. Although he could just be waiting for a chance to kill her quietly...

It wasn't as if Shikamaru had a problem with dancing with the blonde haired sand ninja in front of him, it was that he just couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that the sand kazekage was watching their every move. It made him feel…_uncomfortable_, as if at any moment Gaara may lash out and smother him with that scary sand of his.

People had said that Gaara changed. That is how he became kazekage at such an early age. Shikamaru wondered if this was possible. He wasn't like Neji, with all that destiny talk and crap, but he certainly doubted whether someone so fitting of a mental disorder could've changed at all in such a short time. His thoughts were cut short by Temari's arms abruptly winding their way around his neck.

"Temari…what are you doing?" Shikamaru asked her quizzically, one eyebrow raised. She looked at him in laughed her cheery, bell-like laugh.

"I'm dancing with you, stupid." She answered. Shikamaru noticed that the music had indeed slowed pace. He sighed and reluctantly wrapped his own arms around her waist. The kunoichi could be such a pain sometimes.

"I still think this is a bad idea." Shikamaru said, too casual to hide his fear of Temari's younger brother. Temari gave a sigh of her own and locked onto Shikamaru's eyes.

"Would you just relax?" she said. "Enjoy the moment."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered, but he let himself relax a little, allowed himself to forget time and place for just a few minutes. Gaara was gone. The other shinobi disappeared. All that existed were he and Temari…alone…together… He pulled her in closer and met her lips suddenly, wrapped up in the moment. She responded by wrapping her arms even tighter around his neck. Temari felt his tongue brush along her lower lip as she proceeded to make out with him in the middle of the crowded dance floor.

"Shikamaru…" Shikamaru broke away from Temari and abruptly whipped around to see Gaara standing there, an angry look on his face, sand swirling ominously around his ankles.

"I told you this was a bad idea." Temari hissed loudly enough for Gaara to hear. Shikamaru's eyes became wide with fear.

"It was YOUR idea!" he hissed in return, but quietly enough so that Gaara wouldn't catch it. Gaara lifted a pointed finger towards Shikamaru's face."

"Get….out!" he growled, shifting the pointed finger towards the door.

"Yes…okay, kazekage-sama!" he said hastily before fleeing out of the exit.

"Wow, that was close…"


	8. Shikamaru and Ino: you broke it!

A/N: for waffle link, who wanted, and I quote, "What Ino would do when she breaks a vase, and glues it together, BUT, it gets glued to her hand, and she has to pick up the phone because she's expecting a call from a certain love interest." Yes, funny, no?

"There, done." Ino breathed, squeezing a thin line of super glue out of the tube and using it to affix the last piece of the shattered vase back into place.

"I really should be more careful." She muttered, placing her hands around the vase and attempting to lift it onto the mantle. She placed it down into its spot and removed her hands.

Only her hands wouldn't budge. She realized with alarm that her hands were now GLUED TO THE VASE. BOTH HANDS. She muttered some incoherent curses under her breath while trying in vain to pry her hands off the cold ceramic object.

"Well, maybe if I just..." she forced just enough chakra into the vase so her hands might be pushed off of it. Her hands stuck fast. Ino ran to the sink and used her elbow to nudge the knob until the water flowed.

"OW!" she moaned, pulling her now burned hand back out. Little did she know, she had turned the water on as hot as possible. She nudged the knob back to cool and stuck the hand back under. She sighed in relief as the burn cooled, but the vase still wouldn't budge. All of a sudden she heard the phone ring…

"Shitshitshitshitshit!" she muttered while running to the phone. She fumbled to pick it up, suddenly realizing her hands were still glued fast. Maybe if she jammed the speaker button in with her elbow…

"Hello?" she breathed, winded by her run to the phone. She tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. She had been expecting a call..

"Ino?" the voice on the other end returned. "You sound kind of odd.."

"What are you talking about, Shikamaru?" she said, laughing nervously. "I'm perfectly fine!" Yeah, perfectly. Except for the stupid vase glued to her hand!

"Are you sure you haven't done anything stupid?" he responded quizzically.

"No, no, everything's fine!" she insisted. She knew that he wouldn't believe her. "As a matter of fact, why don't you come over?" she finished stupidly. She regretted it as soon as it came out of her mouth.

"Ah…sure…" Shikamaru said. "I'll be there in a few minutes." With that, he hung up.

"_How stupid am I_?" Ino thought to herself while trying to figure a way to pry the vase off her hands. She ran to the dish soap. No luck. With her hands glued, she just couldn't manage to get the bottle opened. She moaned in realization that there was just no way that she was going to get her hands unglued.

Suddenly, she heard the front door swing open.

"Ino?" a voice called out from the front hall.

"Coming!" she answered, quickly placing her hands behind her head in a poor attempt to hide the vase. She ran somewhat haphazardly to the front door.

"Ino, why are you holding a vase behind your head?" Shikamaru asked quizzically, eyebrow cocked and hands folded stubbornly across his chest.

"No reason!" she said, quickly swinging her hands in front of her so as not to appear foolish looking in front of her teammate whom she not-so-secretly had a thing for.

"…do you…want to put that down?" Shikamaru continued, arms still crossed. He noted the glue seeping out from between the cracks crisscrossed across the surface of the glass flower holder.

"No thanks!" Ino said nervously. Boy, must she look stupid. Shikamaru standing there, looking at her with that bemused expression on his face. She wondered exactly what he was thinking.

"You glued your hands to the vase, didn't you?" he said blankly, his yes shifting from her hands to her face.

"N-no!" she stuttered. "Why would you think that?" Shikamaru sighed.

"Troublesome." He muttered. Quick as a flash, he reached out, grabbed her hands, and gave them a quick tug. "Yeah you did."

"Okay, okay." Ino blushed scarlet. "You caught me. Now how about helping me?" she asked him, letting down her guard.

"Are you sure you want me to do that?" he asked, eyeing her cautiously.

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Well, okay." He gave the vase a hard punch from the top, shattering it into pieces. The chips fell away, leaving only a thin ribbon of glue still on Ino's delicate hands.

"You broke it!" she shouted, throwing her arms around Shikamaru happily. The boy sighed in indignation. Her realization would only take a second. "Hey…wait…_you broke it_!" she yelled again, removing her arms. "Help me clean it up!  
"Troublesome." Shikamaru said, bending down to help pick up the pieces.


	9. Sasuke and Sakura: New Hope

**A/N: For Hpbabe91, who wanted happyending! Sasusaku. Here ya go.**

Exactly one week had passed. That week ate at her like acid, burning little holes in her psyche, each day leaving her weaker than the one before it. He hadn't even spoken to her since his return, which made headlines in the Konoha newspapers. Sasuke Uchiha hadn't talked to _anyone_, for that matter. It was as if over those three years, someone had worked to drain the raven-haired ninja to submission, running him into the ground in their attempts to drain him of any emotion.

When Sakura first saw him, his eyes were dead. No glimmer of anything below those coal black orbs, not even a spark of the rage he once held so close, like a security blanket. All the emotion, all the years of bottled up rage and turmoil were buried deep below the surface, locked away somewhere in the back stretches of his mind, in a place that she could not reach or perhaps even find. All the life was gone. He was a withering plant. Left untamed and without the reaches of sunlight, with no one to prune him or help keep him whole, he had faded. She was only glad she didn't have to watch as one by one his leaves fell, and one by one, fragments of his mind became lost.

She wondered what happened to the angry 12 year old assigned to her team those long years before. He had been vibrant once, pretending to be stoic and uncaring when really he would risk so much of himself for his teammates. From all appearances, that boy was gone. Tears pricked at Sakura's eyes like daggers, the acid starting to build upon her. Sadness washed over her like a warm swell of water, numbing all her emotions. Would she become blank as well? Just as the sadness brimmed at her eyes, he turned and looked straight into her eyes, searching, pleading for remorse. She let the tears spill over as she walked away. Sasuke Uchiha was still there, buried deep beneath the emotionless mask.

The fireworks lit up the sky, flowers blooming into the sky, and fading again as the colors consumed one another, fighting for dominance. Sakura pondered if this was what happened to Sasuke, his resolve, bits of different emotions growing and exploding, writing, until eventually they died and his whole self became black. It was a dark thing to think during the new year's celebration, a time usually reserved for joy. Sakura just couldn't get into the spirit. That was the reason she sat alone on her rooftop, letting the tears flow over occasionally as she halfheartedly watched the fireworks fade, the acid still eating at her relentlessly. New year's was a time for hope and resolve, a time to renew oneself in an attempt to better the spirit. For him, and perhaps for her, there would be no renewal. The situation was hopeless…she had lost to time.

She jumped to her feet as she heard footsteps approach from behind her. Anger welled up inside, blooming like a hot red firework. Couldn't they see that she wanted to be alone? She spun around to face it.

Her anger died when her eyes met those of her intruder. Those eyes were longing for hope and forgiveness, trying to release their fear, and at the same time trying in vain to hide it.

"Sasuke…" she breathed, her breath itself fighting to stay within her. Tears spilled freely from her eyes now, flowing like a river trying to find its way to the sea, but only reaching the ground, bittersweet and conflicting emotions at its source.

His shadowy figure looked as mysterious as ever as the fireworks lit it here and there, giving it a soft glow. It stepped forward and wrapped its arms around her. He let her weep, let her release the bindings which he had placed there. She clutched his shirt like a small child, burying her head in and letting the tears come, not even trying to stop them. It overwhelmed her, weakening her knees, causing the strength to leach out as she lost the ability to stand on her own.

He caught her as she fell, cradling her, causing her to look even more like a small child than before. She still cried silently, but the tears were drying. He felt the bitter remorse for leaving her here, forcing her to bear such burdens. He himself fought back the tears that eventually spilled out of his own eyes, slower and weaker than Sakura's but just as strong, and just as cleansing.

"I'm sorry…" he repeated weakly, trying to control himself. He was acting differently than he once had, the mask he always used to protect himself was weakening, and soon it would be gone. Some would say it was out of character. Really, he just found himself feeling emotions that he hadn't experienced in a long time. It overwhelmed him, he could barely stick his head out of the current to breathe for a second before being dragged back under. She looked up at him, locking her eyes onto his own.

"Why did you do it, Sasuke?" she asked. "Why did you abandon us?" The tears of turmoil were gone, there was nothing left to fuel them. She had no more tears to cry. He had no answer for the pink haired kunoichi. Would he ever really have an answer for why he had done something so horrible, so deplorable as to leave her in that state? The simple answer was no, he would not. There was no excuse for causing another such pain. He understood that. He had felt it himself. In the years he had been gone, he had been tortured, emotionally and physically, in an attempt to keep him blank. He no longer cared about life…no longer thought about the things that mattered most. All caring had been driven from him like a stampede being driven from a gulch.

"Forgive me, Sakura…" he said, begging her not to let herself be damaged by his brutality. He willed her to forget about him, find another if necessary. She was too kind, too caring, to good for him to let herself be hurt any longer. The decision would be up to her. He didn't know how to help her…she would have to discover that for herself.

Her lips met his in an instant, the thoughts being pushed from his mind as yet another new emotion flooded him. It wasn't just an old sensation buried deep enough to be able to overwhelm him…this emotion was new. Love flooded through him as her lips touched his in that instant…love from him to her, a tender representation of something that before he ad never allowed himself to feel.

He would never allow himself to hurt her like that again. He was going to stay in it this time…keep it going for the long haul. He realized that at that moment, nothing else mattered.

He would never leave her again.


	10. Itachi: Motivation

**A/N: For my friend Helen, who gave me this prompt as a quote: "When you grow older, you don't stop pulling the wings off butterflies. You just find better reasons to do it."**

Killing should be nothing strange to a Shinobi. The life demands they steel themselves against the bloodshed and continue on as if nothing happened at all. Another person's agony as they crumple to the ground like a broken toy cannot be permitted to work under their dutiful resolves. The spilled blood continues to flow like a never-ending current, and shinobi invariably learn over time to prevent it from pulling them in.

Itachi was still young when the current first started to lap around his ankles. His father beat apathy into him with a lashing tongue and endless training. Older Uchihas never failed to tell him detailed stories of their own battle encounters. Talk of the deadly current even had a way of punctuating their dinner conversations at odd moments.

The younger Itachi never saw reason for the endless training and hours of the torment that was the regular conversation around the Uchiha compound. What he did understand is that emotions made him weak- better to kill and get it over with than to dwell upon the life about to be extinguished, its being tossed into the ever-flowing river at his feet.

Even when he first entered the academy, Itachi's resolve was deadly indeed. He would practice and fine tune his sharingan in private, using it to snuff out the life of little squirrels in the training grounds, slicing whatever target he saw most convenient into ribbons with his shuriken and throwing knives. Itachi didn't care. Death was nothing, lingering over it would only slow his progression. Better to move past it without blinking then dwell on the inevitable.

His teachers and elders alike praised the traits that Itachi's fellow students feared. They regarded him as a prodigy who would one day rise to greatness. Itachi didn't care any more than he cared about the lives of the small animals he took in his training

No one noticed when Itachi's little pet kitten dissapeared. Sure, they asked him about it, but how could a boy of 10 kill his own pet? They ignored the incident. After all, Itachi was a good ninja, and no one was around to witness hisperverse pleasure as he squeezed the life out of the small animal in order to test his ability to kill.

No one suspected the day his cousin added to the flowing entity starting to burble around Itachi's knees. All agreed- the boy was found floating in the water, he probably drowned. Yes- no one suspected that his own cousin sacrificed the life of his best friend to progress his own skills.

The family would regret the oversight when a few nights later, Itachi's mangeko sharingan obliterated the entire Uchiha clan save one member. He laughed as he walked away from the massacre, blood dripping from his katana, the red commas still glowing in his eyes.

Itachi reveled in having finally found a purpose in his life. He desired power- to become a legend, even among missing nins. He would find a way to subjugate other ninjas until he alone ruled them all. The killing, of course, would not be enough. He would wait until the last remaining member grew as strong as he before his final strike. That would be his test.

If he can defeat his brother, Itachi will finally be satisfied in being one of the strongest and most powerful ninja the world has ever known. After all…power is the reason for everything.


	11. neji and tenten: school begins

A/N: for the contest IrisEclipsed is helping host. NejiTenten…school begins.

A 16 year old girl sits in the forest clearing, tears of pain rolling down her face, physical embodiment of the sheer agony of guilt bearing down upon her. She fears forgetting the most…forgetting the way his white eyes bored down into hers, or the way his voice sounded that cold night. It scares her, how much she cares for him, how much his soul has worked its way into hers. A picture is clutched in her hands, a serene image of him the day school began.

The girl stares into it intensely, trying to draw back the memory of him on this day, the day that the two met. She remembers how cold he seemed, how uncaring, lacking in concern. She remembers he way it intrigued her, drew her in, made her want to know more about the mystery known as Neji Hyuuga.

They were put in the same class, her and he, hands of fate pushing them together at the tender age of 10. He always talked about fate, sometimes she wonders if he had to fight to believe it himself. After all, it was an ideal forced into him by the Hyuuga clan. But, on the other hand, she thinks to himself, maybe he was right. Maybe fate had a path it needed them to fulfill. She only wonders why her path has to be so painful.

The first month was full of fighting, full of the turmoil that Neji Hyuuga hated and yet always seemed to attract. She just would not leave him alone. She laughs bitterly at the memory of how she crooned over him like a common fangirl, antagonizing him at every possible moment.

Out of them all, only her, Tenten, had the brains to figure out that her gestures of over kindness and mooning over him only served to drive him away. Instead she trained with him, left him alone when need be, even criticized him at times. Over time she managed to draw him in, almost forced him to abandon the idea of fate altogether. Or maybe fate had simply strung them even closer together.

She cries harder with the new memories, each one cutting a new scar into her already fragile heart. She looks up at the sky, the sun cutting through it on its descent, leaving a bleeding crimson path in its trail, a perfect metaphor for her heart. Neji Hyuuga the sun, damaging her more and more just with his memory.

Slowly, her eyes drift closed with the tears, her mind closing to a sleep that seems everlasting. Her dreams are unsettled, reflecting the many things she wishes she said, the funeral replaying over and over again in her mind. The only peace in them is his voice calling her name over and over.

"Tenten!", it shouts, his voice sounds troubled. Somehow it's still a small comfort to her bleeding heart. She unconsciously allows her eyes to drift open, and her eyes dart forward in surprise to find his body leaned over hers, their lips pressed together in a kiss. She doesn't fight it, despite her surprise, but allows his arms to encircle hers.

"You're back." He says shakily. It takes her a few seconds to come to the realization that his cheeks are wet, and that his breath is rattling as if he had been sobbing not long before. No matter…the hands of fate have intervened, the school of life has began again.


	12. sasuke and sakura: chess

A/N: For widgetofdoom666, who wanted sasusaku: chess

Sasuke stared disinterestedly at the chessboard and let out a long sigh. His coal black eyes shifted upward to stare at the pink haired girl across from him.

"Remind me again why we are playing chess?" he grated out irritably. He knew damn well why they were playing, but he couldn't resist the chance to stall. He hated chess…and even more he hated the fact that she always managed to beat him. It made no sense, really. He was good at everything else. He just couldn't seem to let go of this one simple loss.

"I told you, to sharpen our logic skills and make us more able to strategize in battle." She said in her usual exasperated tone. Every time he asked this question, and every time she gave him the same answer.

"Well I hate it." He growled. He shifted his eyes back down to the chessboard for a second before smoothly clicking a pawn another square forward. Sakura grinned as her bishop slid up and moved it from the board.

"Check." She said smugly. Sasuke frowned. He hated losing, although the fact that it was her made it not so bad. He used his queen to remove Sakura's bishop from the chessboard before looking back up at her.

"I don't get why you enjoy this so much." He said, the frown still plastered across his face. She giggled.

"I don't know Sasuke, is it chess that you hate, or the fact that you keep losing?" The black haired boy's scowl deepened as his queen disappeared from the board. Frustration obscured his onyx eyes, and they turned red. He pounded his fist down on the table and swore. Several of the pieces jumped and fell over as a dent formed into the table under Sasuke's fist.

"You and your little idiotic game can go to hell." He mumbled. The smile fell from Sakura's face.

No need to get so worked up about it!" she suddenly fumed. The chair legs squeaked across the table as she rose from her place and attempted to walk out. Sasuke knew he had gone too far. He reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Wait…" he said, holding her there. He frowned, and hi face screwed up in concentration as he attempted to say those words that couldn't seem to escape his lips.

"What do you want now?" Sakura sighed. He was getting on HER nerves for once, instead of the other way around.

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. "I…I'm…" he stuttered. Sakura stared at him.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked, attempting to pull away. She eventually managed to free her arm, and folded it across her chest. Sasuke trembled.

"I'm sorry…" he finally managed to splutter out. "You're a better chess player than me, okay?" he finished through gritted teeth. Sakura did her best to hid a smug smile.

"Fine, but I'm not playing with you anymore until you lose the childish attitude." Se sniffed. Sasuke frowned. He knew in his mind that she was right…this happened every time they played chess.

Sakura turned and walked out of the room. Checkmate.


	13. Neji and Hinata: Important

**A/N: my friend is DEMANDING nejihina. Fine. Here you go. ::scowls::**

Neji glanced over at the white eyed girl, the girl who lately had become less of an enemy and more of a friend to him. He sighed silently to himself. In just a few months he had come full circle from hating her so completely he wanted to kill her to…he didn't even know. Hinata nervously glanced around the room. Not nervous like her usual, either. It was as if she had something extra on her mind, something burdening her that he couldn't see.

"What is it, Hinata?" Neji asked only slightly patronizingly. He hated to see her so helpless…he had been trying to help her grow stronger, helping her to realize she could be a good ninja, even better maybe than himself. But her lack of self confidence was getting in the way. He looked at her pressing her fingers together nervously. She darted her eyes up to his face and away again, blushing.

"It's n-nothing…" she stuttered. "I j-just wanted to ask something…" she finished. Neji's gaze softened. It could never be simple for him. She was his cousin, and that was all. It could never be anything else. It pained him every time he thought about it, but he would never admit it to himself.

"What is it, Hinata?" he asked. He thought to himself why he always acted so out of character around her. He was usually so severe, so glaring, unable to soften at anything. With Hinata it was different. He wanted her to be happy. He cared about her in ways he never thought he could care about another person. It didn't matter how much self sacrifice he had to make…he WOULD enable her to be happy, even though he knew it would not be with him.

"W-would you drive me to Ichiraku's to meet Shino and Kiba?" she muttered. It wasn't what he was hoping for…it never was. He would always have to keep his distance from her. The fact that they were from the same clan, along with the fact that they were once sworn enemies, prevented anything else. At the same time, he bristled slightly at the mention of Kiba. The bug boy offered no threat…he never showed any interest. But kiba posed a definite risk to Hinata remaining with him, remaining part of his clan. He exhaled slowly. He knew it would happen eventually…and that there would be nothing he could do to prevent it.

"Sure." He answered. He knew he couldn't do different. He would never be so callous as to do anything to hurt her…maybe someone else, but not her. She was too important. That would never change, even after he was thrown to the side, no longer important to her. It would always have to stay that way. It would pain him forever.

But she was bigger than his prejudices and jealousy. And for that reason he would protect her…even to his breaking point.


	14. Sasuke and Hinata: denial

A/N: Damn you, Renalin.

He was always the strongest, the one that all the others wanted to emulate. He was always top of his class, even when he was young, and revered as brother of one of the best ninjas Konoha had ever known. He was always the first to be asked, and always the first to answer questions in class. He was a protégé in a sense, bound to be among th stars one day

She was always the shy, quiet girl, the one that stood in the shadows and watched nervously as the other children played kickball during recess. The one who was afraid of being called on in class, for fear that she would faint at having to speak aloud. Others never thought she would amount to much, despite her proud lineage. She was too weak, too shy to make a good ninja.

And yet the two were inevitably drawn towards one another, the boy with the red eyes of the Sharingan, and the girl, heir to the prestigious Byakugan. In certain ways, they were a perfect match. She would never compete for strength, as he was far stronger than she was, and she in return would never have to amount to as much as she would need to otherwise.

Yes, it seemed the two were perfect. Perfect match, perfect pairing, perfect in every way. Yet for years he didn't see it. He ignored her, didn't even know she existed. Hinata herself sat in the shadows, hoping the day would come when they would be together. Eventually they grew to be friends, through slow trial and tribulations. Eventually they were more than that, yet only she realized they were in love.

He didn't realize it until the day that she died. He broke down when he saw her small, lifeless body, seemingly so helpless. It was too late when he finally realized how important she was. He didn't go to her funeral- he never could stand to let others see him cry. Instead, he sat alone in his apartment, wallowing in his sorrow.

When they found him the next morning, he lay there with his eyes staring up at the ceiling, unseeing. Dead from shock. He would finally see her again…now under the realization of how much she meant to him. There would be two funerals that week.

At the ceremony, two birds were seen, flying together in prefect harmony. Curiously, each bird had one red and one black eye. The doubting pair together at last.


End file.
